Nuclear cylinder seal construction
AssigneeMiller Fluid Power Corporation
InventorJohn F. Bowbin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydraulic snubber device arranged for facilitated servicing of a secondary seal thereof. A bushing removably mounted to the head of the device cooperates therewith to retain a split annular seal element in sealed association with a piston rod extending outwardly therethrough. A bushing is movable on the rod sufficiently to expose the seal for selective removal and installation when desired. The snubber is adapted for use in a radioactive environment wherein the split seal may suffer degradation such as from radiation and permits the replacement of the seal without disconnecting elements connected to the end of the piston rod so as to provide minimum downtime in servicing the installation.
Claims15
In a device having a cylinder tube, a piston longitudinally movable in said tube, a head extending across one end of said tube and having a through bore, a piston rod extending from said piston outwardly through said bore, and primary seal means movably sealing said piston rod to said head, improved readily removable back-up seal means for further movably sealing the piston rod to said head, comprising:
- a bushing having a through bore;
- means for separably securing the bushing to said head with said piston rod extending coaxially outwardly from said head through said bushing bore;
- and
- a split annular back-up seal disposed between said bushing and said head, said bushing being constructed to be selectively spaced from said head on said piston rod to expose said back-up seal for selective removal and installation thereof transaxially of said piston rod, said back-up seal being radially constricted to define an effectively closed ring slidably sealingly engaging said piston rod.
In a fluid-operated snubber device for use in a radioactive environment, said device having a cylinder tube, a piston longitudinally movable in said tube, a head extending across one end of said tube and having a through bore, a piston rod extending from said piston outwardly through said bore, a connector on an outer portion of said piston rod, and primary seal means movably sealing said piston rod to said head, all of which elements being formed of metal, improved readily removable secondary seal means for further movably sealing the piston rod to said head, comprising:
- a bushing having a through bore;
- means for separably securing the bushing to said head with said piston rod extending coaxially outwardly from said head through said bushing bore;
- and
- a split annular nonmetallic seal disposed between said bushing and said head, said bushing being constructed to be selectively spaced from said head on said piston rod to expose said split seal for selective removal and installation thereof transaxially of said piston rod without removing said connector, said split seal being radially constricted to define an effectively closed ring slidably sealingly engaging said piston rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.